WITH THE ARABS IN TENT AND TOWN.
With the Arabs in Tent and Town. By Archibald Forder. (Marshall Brothers.)—Mr. Forder is quite right in pleading that the work of a pioneer in missionary enterprise must not be judged by its results. We do not see that his journeys in various regions east of the Jordan brought about a single conver- sion from Islam to Christianity ; at the same time, we can well believe that they produced an effect. Something may have been done by the sale and distribution of the Scriptures, though there is some doubt about the wisdom of this proceeding, while the motives of the purchasers or receivers are greatly mixed. Anyhow, there was the sight of a courageous man very much in earnest about his religion, and undergoing all kinds of hardship and trouble for its sake. That could hardly fail to impress the observer, all the more so because this is not the sort of Christian that the Moslem has the most opportunity of seeing. Regarded as a book of adventurous travel, this story of life among the Arabs is decidedly interesting. Some of Mr. Forder's experiences were highly exciting; there was the affair at Jowf, for instance, when one of the walls of the chief's mud house was weakened by the rain and fell, unfortunately, inward, and damaged the chief con- siderably. Popular opinion, of course, attributed the disaster to the presence of the Christian, and Mr. Forder's life was for some time in considerable danger.
Previous page
